Showing 1 - 10 of 15
Cute posts, cruel trade
Oped, Editorial, Published on 04/11/2025
» For years, CITES -- the United Nations' multilateral treaty aimed at protecting endangered plants and animals from threats posed by international trade -- has focused on combating wildlife trafficking networks that smuggle exotic animals from forests and breeding centres to meet demand from private zoos and the traditional medicine trade.
Zoo death a stark warning
News, Editorial, Published on 13/09/2025
» The gruesome death of a zookeeper mauled by lions should not be dismissed as a rare fatal accident. What happened on Wednesday morning at Safari World -- a well-known commercial zoo in Bangkok -- serves as a stark warning at a time when lions are becoming increasingly popular pets in Thailand.
Hospice funds scandal takes toll
Editorial, Published on 17/08/2025
» In the 1990s, when Aids meant abandonment and death, Wat Phrabat Nam Phu in Lop Buri opened its gates to the sick and dying. Abbot Phra Alongkot Tikkapanyo gave them food, shelter, and care. It was a noble mission in fearful times.
Lessons from 'Moo Deng'
Oped, Editorial, Published on 17/09/2024
» The popularity of two-month-old pygmy hippo "Moo Deng" is not happenstance. It is the fruit of a laborious and systematic media campaign by the public relations team of Khao Kheow Open Zoo to promote their animals.
Time for panda rethink
Oped, Editorial, Published on 02/02/2024
» Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was thrilled that his request for another panda was well received by Beijing. It's understood the animal will be leased like its predecessors, Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang, formerly the star attractions of Chiang Mai Zoo. The duo arrived in Thailand in 2003, triggering "panda fever" in the tropical country. More than 7.4 million people visited the zoo over the course of 19 years, from 2003 to 2022.
Wild animals are not pets
Oped, Editorial, Published on 27/01/2024
» The report about a wealthy foreigner driving along a crowded street in Pattaya this week with a lion cub in the back of his Bentley convertible is not just another gaudy display of excessive richness.
Send the triads packing
Oped, Editorial, Published on 29/11/2022
» The latest crackdowns against accused members of Chinese triads are not just cops routinely chasing after baddies. The much-reported case of Chaiyanat "Tuhao" Kornchayanant, an alleged leader of a Chinese crime syndicate who turned himself in to the police, shows these suspects are not small-time but are well-connected and powerful people.
Give 'Bua Noi' a better home
Oped, Editorial, Published on 25/10/2022
» During the past long weekend, visitors flocked to Pata Zoo at Pata Department Store in Thon Buri to catch a glimpse of "Bua Noi", or "Little Lotus", Thailand's one and only captive gorilla.
Phuket's chance to start afresh
News, Editorial, Published on 28/03/2021
» With the prime minister today expected to announce plans for the reopening of Phuket to foreign tourists in July and the kingdom hoping to regain its crown as one of the most visited and desirable holiday and travel destinations in the world, there is understandable concern over the move.
Cages are not for tigers
Oped, Editorial, Published on 05/12/2020
» The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Protection (DNP) deserves lavish praise for its actions taken against the illegal tiger trade. On Nov 30, DNP officials impounded five tiger cubs from Suan Sua Mukda in Mukdahan. The young tigers are believed to have been smuggled in as DNA tests showed that they are not related to any in captivity.